agreement was confirmed by Act of Parliament, 57 George III., c. 97,
which authorized the raising of the money by sales of Crown property to
the amount of 101,945 pounds 6s. 3d., with the view of enabling the
purchase money to be paid by five equal yearly instalments. A corn-mill,
two forge-houses with appendages, the tolls of the Coleford Market-house,
and about 423 acres of arable or meadow land, were sold for the most part
at higher prices than were given for them, leaving 2,925 acres for the
growth of timber.

[Picture: Norman Capital in Staunton Church]

On tracing the history of this property as far back as existing records
permit, it appears that "the High Meadow Estate," although naturally
included in the district constituting the Crown property of the Forest,
had been at remote period detached from it as appears by the
perambulations of 28 Edward I., with which the bounds of the shires of
Gloucester and Monmouth here coincide. Its ancient village church,
partly of Norman architecture, and its still more antique font,
apparently Saxon, sufficiently attest the early location of inhabitants
on the spot. This estate constituted one of the ten bailiwicks of the
Forest as early as 10 Edward I. (1282), when it was held by John Walden,
called John de Staunton, by the service, as the Rev. T. Fosbroke has
ascertained, "of carrying the King's bow before him when he came to hunt
in the bailiwick, and by homageward and marchat," and "he had for his
custody housbote, heybote, of every kind of tree given or delivered by
the King; all broken oaks, and all trees of every sort thrown down by the
wind." After passing through the families of the Baynhams, Brains,
Winters, and Halls, who purchased the manor of English Bicknor early in
the 17th century, it became by marriage the property of Sir Thomas Gage,
created Viscount Gage of Castle Island, in the county of Kerry, and Baron
Gage of Castlebar, in the county of Mayo, September 14th, 1720. It must
also be noticed, that licences were issued this year for the erection of
steam-engines at "No Coal" and at "Churchway Coal" Mines.

[Picture: Ancient Font in Staunton Church]

The following minute and interesting account of the state of the several
plantations in the year 1818 is by permission abstracted from Mr.
Machen's private papers.

Speaking of the Buckholt (one of the older enclosures), he observes--

"The large timber in it has been c